Phil Taylor has confirmed that he will no longer be playing darts, retiring from exhibitions seven years after leaving the professional game.
The 16-time world champion played his final pro match on January 1, 2018 when he lost the World Championship final to Rob Cross at Alexandra Palace.
That brought to an end the greatest career the sport has seen, with the Power narrowly missing out on a fairytale ending with a 17th world title.
The Stoke legend continued to play exhibitions and performed in some Seniors events, but has now hung up his arrows for good after dealing with a number of injuries and health issues.
In a video message on his website, Taylor said: ‘I’m officially announcing that I’ve finished playing darts now
‘So if anybody wants to come and see me, I won’t be playing darts now. You can meet me, great me, have a picture with me, have a chat with me, but I won’t be playing darts anymore.
‘Just to let you know, so you’re not disappointed.’
A longer statement from the 64-year-old on Tuesday read: ‘After a long and fantastic career over the last 40 years, I announce that from today I am retiring from playing darts. It has been a privilege to be part of such a vibrant and passionate community.
‘I would like to thank each and everyone for your support through this incredible journey. Your encouragement and enthusiasm have been the driving force behind my success.
‘A journey which has enabled me to achieve more than I could have ever imagined. I am grateful for the friendships I’ve formed and the experiences I’ve shared.
‘As one chapter closes, another one opens. This transition opens up new opportunities for me to explore and engage with the sport in different ways.
‘I look forward to meeting fans old and new around the country and I will continue to update this website with future announcements. Please stay tuned for upcoming events, appearances, and projects that I am excited to undertake.
‘Thank you once again for all the wonderful memories.’
The official retirement comes after Taylor was said to be ‘horrified’ that a fan expected to see him play at a recent theatre show but was left disappointed.
Mark Moreton told Stoke-on-Trent Live of the show at the at Birmingham Town Hall: ‘The description of the event was that it was going to be an exhibition match performed by Phil, followed by a Q&A session with the audience. But when we got there, it was just random people from the audience playing against some other random people. We did not make the effort to attend to ultimately watch Carol from Dudley attempt to play darts.’
Taylor’s manager Bob Glenn said: ‘Phil is horrified to know that it was advertised that he would actually be playing. We’d told promoters months previously that wouldn’t be the case. All future shows on the tour are making that clear.
‘Phil doesn’t play darts any more and he hasn’t done for well over 12 months. That’s thanks to having his hip done and his eyes done. However, he’s not happy with the fact these guys have travelled down from Stoke-on-Trent and not seen what they expected to see.
‘So Phil’s daughter Lisa is getting in touch with Mark to sort something out. Phil is planning to travel to Mark’s house and give him a signed shirt. He’ll also be going in to have a sit down and a cup of tea with them all.’
